MIDDLESBROUGH, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 06: A general view inside the stadium prior to the UEFA European Under 21 Championship Group 4 Qualifier between England and Scotland at Riverside Stadium on October 6, 2017 in Middlesbrough, England. (Photo by Nigel Roddis/Getty Images)

REPORT: Abraham stars in England Under-21 victory

MIDDLESBROUGH, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 06: A general view inside the stadium prior to the UEFA European Under 21 Championship Group 4 Qualifier between England and Scotland at Riverside Stadium on October 6, 2017 in Middlesbrough, England. (Photo by Nigel Roddis/Getty Images)

An England Under-21 side which included Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham beat arch rivals Scotland 3-1 in a UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifying match at The Riverside Stadium in Middlesbrough on Friday evening.

Josh Onomah, Chelsea striker Abraham (on loan at Swansea City) and former Blues contract rebel Dominic Solanke got the goals as The Three Lions collected another three points in their quest for a place in the European Under-21 Championship Finals in 2019.

There was little to separate the two sides on Teesside until the 13th minute when Scotland failed to clear a corner kick and midfielder Josh Onomah unleashed a stunning 20-yard strike into the top corner of the net to give Aidy Boothroyd’s men a one-goal lead.

Blues frontman Abraham was then denied by the post as he connected with a cross from the left before Demerai Gray dragged an effort wide.

Just after the half hour, Abraham was again left frustrated when his vicious close range shot was blocked. Gray, Lewis Cook and Dominic Solanke then missed half-chances to extend the lead before the break but the scoreline remained at 1-0. The latter had the best opportunity to score but diverted his header wide from six yards.

The second half saw Onomah waste an excellent chance to double his tally for the evening when he blasted over when on the turn from just six yards before Abraham finally got his name on the scoresheet when he slotted away a penalty kick after being tripped in the box, although the decision looked a little harsh.

Just after the hour, a slick England move saw the ball fall to Dominic Calvert-Lewin on the left of the box but the FIFA Under-20 World Cup winner shot wide across goal. Onomah remained busy in midfield but was unable to trouble visiting keeper Ryan Fulton with another long range effort.

Twelve minutes before time, Scotland grabbed a lifeline with their only real chance of the match. A ball floated into the box found substitute Oliver McBurnie unmarked at the back post who played in Chris Cadden to tap the ball into the net.

Their joy soon turned to despair when Abraham broke clear of the Scotland defence a minute later and teed up former Chelsea teammate Solanke to slot the ball into the net to make it 3-1.

Captain Joe Gomez was unlucky not to net England a fourth goal late on with the player’s header superbly clawed to safety by Fulton in the Scotland goal as England ended the match 3-1 winners on Teesside.

About Author

I am Dan Pentland and I am a York City season ticket holder and volunteer for men's health charity Prostate Cancer UK. In May 2015, I completed my childhood dream of visiting all 92 Football League grounds. Follow me on Twitter @DanPentlandpcuk and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/dpentlandawaydayspcuk/

The Chelsea Presser is a fresh project focused on all aspects of the Chelsea brand. What sets us apart is our all-encompassing knowledge and passion which sees us follow the Chelsea Ladies and the Academy squads alongside the First Team's progress. There is a great deal of interest in the Ladies, and we want to champion their success!

We think it's important that we see Stamford Bridge for everything it is, and there's so much more to see.

By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. More Information

The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this.